The Rufous Milkcap (Lactarius rufus) is one of the commonest milkcaps in Britain. Its cap is a rich orange-red to orange-brown, dry and matt, and usually has a small pointed bump at the centre, even after it becomes dished with age. The crowded cream to pinkish-buff gills release white milk when damaged. The milk tastes mild for a moment and then fiercely hot.
It grows mainly with conifers, especially pine, on acid soils, and also with birch, from July into October. It is often found in large numbers among moss and needle litter.
It is far too acrid to eat raw. In parts of Scandinavia and Russia it is eaten after long boiling and salting, but this is not recommended. The Mild Milkcap (Lactarius subdulcis) is smaller, has milder milk and grows with beech.
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Distribution
Common and widespread everywhere
Habitat
Typically with conifers but also with Betula in the south
Etymology
Lactarius is Latin for 'producing milk', after the latex. rufus is Latin for 'red' or 'reddish-brown', after the cap colour.
Associates
Betula, Fagus, Picea, Pinus
Cap
Dry and matt, orange-red to orange-brown, usually with a small pointed umbo even when funnel-shaped.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Shape | Convex, Flattened, Expanded |
| Surface | Smooth |
| Width | 2.5 - 12 cm |
Gills
The gills are cream to pale pinkish-brown, crowded, and adnate to decurrent. The white milk turns yellow, and is mild at first, then soon burning acrid.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Attachment | Adnate, Decurrent |
| Spacing | crowded |
Flesh
The flesh is firm and brittle, pale pinkish-brown. It has a weak, slightly oily smell, and a taste that is mild at first before turning acrid.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Odour | Weak, slightly oily |
| Taste | Acrid |
Stem
The stem is orange-brown to orange-red, clavate to cylindrical and smooth, 2-10 cm long, with no ring. It is white at the base.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Height | 2 - 10 cm |
| Width | 10 - 20 mm |
| Texture | Smooth |
| Shape | Clavate, Cylindric |
Spores
The spores are amyloid, with warts and ridges to 0.7μm high, the ridges forming a complete reticulum.
| Colour | |
|---|---|
| Type | amyloid |
| Shape | Ellipsoid, Broadly ellipsoid |
| Ornamentation | Reticulate, Warty |
| Size | 6.5-9.8 x 5-7 μm |
Classification
- ↳ Phylum: Basidiomycota
- ↳ Subphylum: Agaricomycotina
- ↳ Class: Agaricomycetes
- ↳ Order: Russulales
- ↳ Family: Russulaceae
- ↳ Genus: Lactarius
Synonyms
- Agaricus rufus Scop.
- Lactarius mollis D.A. Reid
- Lactarius rufus (Scop. ex Fr.) Fr.
- Lactarius rufus var. exumbonatus Boud.
Reference Sources
G. Kibby (2025) British Milkcaps Lactarius & Lactifluus. Geoffrey Kibby.
T. Læssøe, J. H. Peterson (2019) Fungi of Temperate Europe Vol. 1. Princeton University Press.
